new with diabetes

snorktharpe

hello everyone- this is my first time here i was diagnosed with diabetes on tuesday. hoping this site will help me to stay on track with my new diet.

lauraleah

Welcome! I just started on this site this week and I am diabetic. I am hoping the tracking will help me get it under control.
Laura

birdlover97111

Welcome..!!...I am type 2 diabetic and I LOVE this site...Has helped me to lose almost 20 lbs already, plus my sugar levels are finally in the low 100's...Good luck on your journey..!!.. :flowerforyou:

afwg1979

I had my first insulin resistance test on September 16th. The results were not good, yet not devastating; that is, I do not have type 2 diabetes. Yet. When my nurse practitioner (NP) suggested prescribing a low dose Metformin, I put up a fuss and asked if there was an alternative. She said that I could meet with a nutritionist, alter my food intake for six month and then have another test. My NP gave me a couple of booklets on meal planning for people with diabetes.

I am scheduled to meet with a nutrtionist next Tuesday.

I purchased a digital kitchen scale yesterday - no more gram guessing!

I know it's going to be hard, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to avoid being put on meds. (I have been "clean" - no prescription meds - for the past 18 months. Not even a flu shot.) I'm feeling so much better these days, especially since joining MFP in late July 2011. I've lost 21 pounds in two months.

I don't want to be like one of my co-workers who is on insulin plus three oral meds for his diabetes. He told me that when he wants to eat pasta, he injects himself with extra insulin. That's crazy! No, thank you. I'd rather not eat the pasta than take medicine.

I bet that at least 50 percent of MFP members are borderline diabetics or are being treated for diabetes. It's a growing epidemic -- look at the amount of chubby kids on any school playground in Anytown, USA. This is madness. We, as responsible parents, must be vigilant about what foods we bring home. We have that choice. We have that power.

More than anything, I'm writing all of this to give me the strength and determination needed to face the even tighter restrictions I am going to have to make come next week.

With all of the help we have here on MFP, we can win this battle. Yes, we can!

snorktharpe

hi magda - yes, like you i don't want to wind up on insulin and wasn't nuts to take meds. however, my test results were shameful due to years of idiotic eating habits. my dr. explained that the metform is not insulin but helps reduce blood glucose levels along with a proper diet and since i'd been feeling lousy, i decided to give it a try. it also helps with weight loss. however, he did tell me that once my sugar is under control and i'm in a healthier lifestyle, lost weight, etc., i will be able to stop taking the metform altogether. so depending on how high your sugar levels are, it may or may not be a good choice. since mine appeared to be high enough to make me feel so badly, i decided to try the metform. i was having noticeable vision problems over the last six months, etc. of course i do have other illnesses as well which may be a consideration. hope you're having some success in getting your levels down and best of luck to you - oh, and i've heard tell of people too who want to shoot the insulin and eat whatever they want- yuck!! i'm with you- NO INSULIN PLEASE- lol

Dona_Maria

Welcome, I also have type 2 Diabetes and can say once it's under control it's not a big deal. MFP is a great way to get healthy, if you need people to join you in your journey add me. Best of luck to you!

rfiveh2003

I am not new to diabetes but on this site about a month. Diagnosed about 5 years ago, initially was obsessed with getting my blood sugar in line with Atkins diet, but could not do that very long. I travel and entertain all week long and started eating everything wrong, got back in bad habits, last year I had not checked my blood sugar once. This August due to a heart problem not directly linked to the diabetes, I ended up two weeks in hospital and my Dr. had to give me steroids which shot my sugar to scary heights. My A1c was over 11% at that time. Due to the steroids which brought me back to life, they had to give me insulin all 6 times a day. Dr said he did not think I could get off the insulin when I went home and since I had never used insulin at home I was freaked out. Turned out not so bad to give myself injections, but could tell this was going to be a total change of life while traveling on the road. I tell you this only because by sticking to 1800 cals a day, a low fat, heavy veggie diet, my numbers went down so quick that he told me not to take the insulin anymore, has reduced my Metformin to 2 pills a day with goal to stop completely.

It can be done if I did it! I am the worse at taking care of myself! hang in there and track your numbers very closely. Thru diet and a little exercise it is amazing how much better you can feel.